In The Blink Of An Eye
by xxElla MadElynxx
Summary: 'Stiles didn't even get the time to yell the first curse word that sprung up in his mind when the jeep collided with the large truck in the front, shattering the windshield into innumerable pieces.' (Aka, Scott 'thinks' Stiles is dead). Nothing really, just an excuse for a hurt!Stiles, Very worried!Scott and BigBrother!Derek. Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE**: In The Blink Of An Eye

**By**: Ellie!

Hi guys...so here is another story. Maybe a two parter or three, don't know for certain yet. Involves Hurt!Stiles. Very worried! Scott. Big Brother!Derek. It's a sad one. Happy ending and all but still angsty. Its really the only kind I can write. So... yes, please review and let me know what you think. Your reviews mean the world to me.

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><p><span><strong>Prologue<strong>-

"No!" Scott yelled, bolting upright on the…_bed_? It was too cold and hard to be his bed. He looked around frantically, trying to remember what was going on and why he was at the… animal clinic of all the places. His mind was still numb, each raspy breath intensifying his already rising panic. Something had happened. Something horrible. Something he couldn't put his finger on. He was going somewhere….Right, Derek's loft. _Then why was he here?_

His brow furrowed in confusion and he rose his hand to slide his fingers through his hair. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he froze. His hands…they were stained red, dried blood sticking to his skin. He rubbed at them furiously, heart rate dangerously escalating. _What was going on? Why the hell was he…_

He took a shaky breath and closed his eyes to try and remember, inhaling and exhaling loudly to prevent himself from going insane with desperation. He needed to know what happened. He could feel guilt and….pain stirring inside his chest, his nerves still twitching with the rush of adrenaline.

He was with someone…_who was he with?_

Scrunching his eyes tighter, he clenched his teeth in anger. _Why couldn't he remember?_

_He was with…Stiles. Yes, he was with his best friend in the jeep and then…._

Like waves, it all came back rushing to him and his jaw dropped in shock. "No…" He whispered, clumsily wiping the layer of sweat off his forehead with his bloodied hand.

"No..no…" He continued to mutter, shaking his head wildly.

_No... Stiles couldn't really be…_

But he had heard it…his best friend's heart rate slowing down before…before, completely stopping.

"STILES!" Scott yelled, a sob painfully forcing itself out of his throat. He clutched at his chest, hoping for the unbearable pain and grief to lessen, silently praying at the back of his mind for this to only be a nightmare- a horrifying nightmare.

_No...Not Stiles. Not my brother. Please give him back to me. I can't lose him. Give him back to me. Please..._

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><p>So..yeah. That's all its about. Its not a death fic...revealing that now, so you can continue to read the story. He he. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be up in a few hours ..I know I'm crazy for not posting the whole thing together but I just wanted to give it an interesting start. Okay...see you in the fandoms then. Review! Pretty please. Thanks again for reading.<p>

_-_Ellie


	2. Chapter 2

**TITLE**: In The Blink Of An Eye

**BY**: Ellie!

First in my series of 'The Only Human'.

Enjoy and please review! :)

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><p><span>CHAPTER:1<span>

"No." Scott repeated for the hundredth time, glaring at Stiles who still had his characteristic goofy grin plastered on his face. Scott seemed annoyed, even a little pissed and Stiles just wanted to know what had brought that change in his best friend's behavior.

"I cannot believe that for a second. I just can't." The human said, before glancing back at the empty road and pressing harder on the accelerator, one of his hands on the steering wheel and the other flailing around him. "Something has been bothering you and I know it has something to do with…Allison?" He guessed, clicking his tongue and eyeing his friend carefully. Because c'mon, everything is always about Allison.

As if on cue, Scott stiffened at the mention of his ex-girlfriend's name, frowning momentarily at how fast the jeep was actually moving.

Stiles clapped the steering wheel loudly. "I knew it." He exclaimed, "I just knew it." He shook his head in disbelief. Just when was Scott going to accept…whatever it was between him and Allison, it was over. _Over_. Turning to look at Scott who was looking at him like a kid who had just lost his toy, he inhaled deeply. "Look Scott, you can't always…."

His words were cut off when Scott gasped, wide-eyes turning to look at the road. He immediately followed his best friend's sight. He didn't even get the time to yell the first curse word that sprung up in his mind when the jeep collided with the large truck in the front, shattering the windshield into innumerable pieces.

The last thing Stiles registered, other than his jeep finally reconnecting with the ground, was a sharp burning pain in his side, after which he simply welcomed darkness.

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><p>Scott blinked his eyes open after tireless efforts. He instinctively touched his forehead and winced in pain, feeling the blood dripping down his head and towards his left eye. Shifting in his seat uncomfortably, he assessed his injuries, breathing heavily as the healing process did its work. He could already feel the torn tissues rejoining to form muscles, the broken skin repairing on its own. He waited for a while for the nausea to pass. Once the world wasn't spinning around him, he straightened and muffled the pained groan that closely followed.<p>

"Stiles?" He croaked in pain, trying his best to turn towards his friend in the driver's seat. His neck was still stiff, his body pinned to the seat. Reaching out with his uninjured hand, he touched Stiles' arm and shook him. "C'mon, Stiles."

Much to his horror, Stiles didn't respond and there was a strong scent of blood lingering in the vehicle…a strong scent of too much blood.

"Stiles?" He called out again, a tinge of desperateness crawling into his actions as he tightened his grip on Stiles' arm. "C'mon, wake up." He pleaded, waiting again for a reaction.

He noticed how difficult it was getting for him to move, as if the jeep was shrinking. Another look through the shattered windshield confirmed his suspicions. The truck was transporting large logs of wood, some of which, due to the collision, had rolled down to rest on the top of the jeep. _Great_.

"Stiles?" He shook his friend more frantically, keeping his eyes glued to the bending metal just above his own head.

He sighed in relief when Stiles finally came around, his head lolling to the other side in confusion. A gasp escaped his lips, followed by a pained groan. "Scott?" He asked, still struggling to stay conscious. His eyes were closed, face screwed up in pain.

"Yeah..buddy, I'm here." Scott encouraged, ignoring the pain that spiked through his left leg as he moved in his seat to get a better look at his best friend's state.

"Whathappened?" Stiles' words were jumbled, eyes racing beneath his eyelids.

"We drove straight into a truck. I was sure the road was empty. God knows from where this huge truck popped up without us noticing." Scott knew he was rambling but he needed Stiles to stay awake. "Shit." He yelled in frustration, gripping the seat belt yet again and pulling at it. _Why wouldn't it just…_

With another forceful jerk, he managed to tear the belt and quickly began unlocking the door. He made sure he wasn't too hasty because the inside of the car was littered with the shattered remains of the windshield and pointy shards of wood, and the last thing he wanted was to injure himself any further….he had to help Stiles.

"What are you…" Stiles suddenly stopped, gritting his teeth to block out the pain flaring in his side. Opening his eyes, he slowly turned to look at Scott, "What are you doing?" He breathed, blinking his eyes rapidly to see through the colorful spots dancing in his vision.

Scott chose to ignore the waver in his best friend's tone and the obvious pain on his face. He slammed his shoulder into the door forcefully, murmuring a string of curse words under his breath. "C'mon…Shit." He screamed in frustration as the jammed door didn't move in the slightest, thanks to the weight above the jeep, crushing them inside. Summoning his alpha strength, he tried once again. Much to his satisfaction, this time the jeep door flung open with a loud clank, making the human flinch beside him.

"My jeep…" Stiles made a show of being disappointed, trying to enlighten the mood a little.

Scott, again, didn't pay any attention and staggered towards his best friend, looking around for anyone on the otherwise silent road. The large truck hadn't really suffered so much damage and Scott wondered if there was any one even present in the vehicle in the first place; the truck was at rest when they collided with it.

Leaning heavily against the jeep, he stumbled to the driver's seat. Bending a little, he cupped the human's face, "Stiles?" He asked, panicking slightly when his friend didn't reply. Stiles' eyes were open but he was simply staring into space, not responding to any kind of communication. He was breathing heavily, his head thrown backwards in pain.

Scott quickly turned his attention to Stiles' injuries, trying to make a mental note of everything. There were many cuts and scrapes on his arms and face, though none of them looked fatal. As he moved his hands frantically across Stiles' body, trying to find any more damages, his eyes widened when he felt the unmistakable sharpness of a glass piece pricking his finger. Pulling his hand away with a wince, he hesitantly lifted the hem of Stiles' torn shirt.

There was, as he suspected, a glass piece protruding out of Stiles' side. It was dug deep into his flesh, so deep that anyone would have had missed it in the first glance. With unbelievable speed, Scott unbuttoned Stiles' shirt, struggling with his options. Blood was gushing out of the wound, staining his hands red.

Heart beating loudly against his chest, he paused, staring at his trembling hands. There was too much blood and he knew for a human, loss of so much blood was fatal.

No…Stiles will not die. He reminded himself, drawing in a shaky breath. With a whirlwind of emotions swiveling in his heart, pain and panic being the most prominent, he let his fingers slide across Stiles' abdomen. As his fingers lightly brushed the region around the glass piece, a pained gasp escaped Stiles' mouth.

The human swiftly grabbed his hand, wincing through gritted-teeth. "Stop…Scott." His voice shook with pain, "Don't…..Don't…touch it." He finally managed to whisper, each word punctuated with short, raspy breaths.

Scott bit his lip guiltily, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He stuttered, avoiding Stiles' gaze.

Another frantic look at the roof of the jeep was all it took to send him into a full on panicked mode. "Stiles?" He whispered shakily, "Can you..can you move?" He asked, cupping the human's neck and leaning in closer. "Hey…wake up." He slapped him across the cheek, resuming his desperate efforts to keep his best friend conscious. Stiles seemed to be swaying on the line between unconsciousness and awareness, his face having lost all the color and sweat dotting his forehead.

_Not a good sign_, Scott found himself repeating in his head, "Stiles! Answer me, damnit!"

"I…I can try. I can try." Stiles breathed, eyes half lidded with exhaustion.

"Alright…you have to get out of the jeep. I will help you…just lean on me alright? Let me hold your weight. All I need you to do is stay awake. STAY AWAKE." Scott pressed, letting out a humorless chuckle when the human repeated after him.

"Stay awake…." It was almost inaudible but it definitely was sarcastic.

Scott didn't how he had managed it. By applying a little force, he was able to snake his arm around Stiles' waist, minding his injuries. Then all it too took was a light pull and Stiles was already leaning heavily against him. But holding Stiles was not the harder task, it was helping him out without jostling his injuries that seemed nearly impossible.

Placing his palm flat on the roof, just above Stiles so that his head wouldn't collide with it once they moved, Scott exhaled loudly. "Alright, let's do this." He said to no one in particular before assisting Stiles in drawing out his left foot.

Pain like nothing he knew tore through Stiles and he screamed in agony as the glass piece twisted inside his body. After that, much like the last time, he let the blanket of darkness envelop him.

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><p>So...what do you think? Worth your time? Please review. I know its a common title but 'meh', I couldn't come up with any other. The next chapter will be up tomorrow...that's a promise. I'm actually dying to write here but a human has to sleep right? I've got school tomorrow...after 15 days of vacation. So hard to continue studying after a break. Anyways, you can choose to ignore all my ranting and simply review. :)<p>

So tomorrow, same time, same station. Seeya!

-Ellie


	3. Chapter 3

**TITLE**: In The Blink Of An Eye

**BY**: Ellie!

I am sorry I didn't update for so, so long. Someone really close to me- my friend- passed away (I couldn't write the story, the similarities were just...am I making any sense?). Things started going downhill from there. It's been hard yeah, but I'm in the process of accepting it so... thanks for waiting, reading, reviewing and putting this story into your favorites.

Also, imagine my joy when I see more than a dozen emails- especially from the Guest 'Sarah' (thank you so much for the persuasion, I love you)- asking about an update, or liking the story and such. THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!

Here is the next chapter...hopefully, it'll make up for the delay.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Teen Wolf or its characters.

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><p><span>CHAPTER:2<span>

"Stiles!" Scott couldn't stop the panicked scream that followed when his best friend's eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled forward. Struggling to hold his own weight, he tightened his grip around Stiles, all the while swearing colorfully under his breath.

"I told you to stay awake." He pressed, his face screwing up in a mixture of anger and concern, only concern really but pretending was keeping him sane. Breathing heavily as exhaustion sneaked in, he readjusted his grip. What he didn't expect was the pain in his leg to suddenly make itself known and before he could even balance his footing, with another pained groan, he went crashing down to the floor.

Once the two of them connected with the ground, the human's back now leaning heavily against Scott's chest and his legs tangled rather painfully in front of him, Stiles' eyes fluttered open. He groggily looked around him, noticing the familiar arms wrapped around his abdomen. He couldn't feel his lower body anymore and he knew all too well that, that was a very, _very_ bad sign. He swallowed hardly to force his lunch back into his stomach. _Calm down_! He reminded himself.

Scott peered over his friend's shoulder to spare a glance at his face, breathing heavily. _Thank God!_ He felt a little of his life return to him when Stiles glanced back at him.

"Sorry…I couldn't…." The human groaned, latching onto the wolf's hand when pain spiked in his side, radiating off to his entire body.

"Shhh..shh..don't try to talk." Scott whispered shakily, frantically looking around him. He needed help. He had to call for help. Shivering with panic and the fear of losing his friend, he threw his head backwards in despair and growled. He didn't realize he had already started shifting, his eyes now glowing a bright red and fangs baring.

"Scott…" Stiles panicked upon seeing his friend's state, wincing as the howl only got louder, Scott's arms beginning to shiver with the force. His voice was hoarse and almost inaudible, he hoped his friend had heard him. He then closed his eyes and waited for a response.

Coming back to his senses with a gasp, the desperate growl having weakened him, Scott inhaled shakily. He momentarily closed his eyes before his fangs began to slowly slide back between his gums. He had completely lost control over himself, saving is friend being the only thought spinning around in his head. His shoulders deflated once he was done and his chin tipped forward to rest against his own chest. He was exhausted and his nerves twitched with the rush of adrenaline. Pulling his friend closer, he tried to control his erratic breathing.

A muffled wince escaped Stiles' mouth on the sudden movement and the alpha shook his head. Knowing all too well that it was a bad idea, he took hold of Stiles' hand and started to take his pain away. Black veins snaked their way into his body and he felt like he was set on fire, hot white pain burning his insides. Colorful spots danced in his vision but the persistent frown on his best friend's face disappeared, if anything, making his wolf even more determined. He kept at it for as long as he could before his own eyes slid shut and a loud gasp forced itself out of his throat.

Stiles felt his muscles relax beneath Scott's comforting touch. It was no way near gentle, the alpha's fingers wrapped tightly around his wrist, holding for dear life, but it was still soothing. He closed his eyes and thanked God for having Scott beside him. A pained gasp pulled him out of his trance and he willed himself to open his eyes. He noticed the black veins on Scott's hand, where he had held him tight, and finally joined the missing pieces together. With his heart pounding against his ribcage and anger bubbling inside him, he summoned all his strength and yanked his hand away.

Scott, who had now started to grow paler, gasped at the loss of contact and steadied himself, hurriedly placing his hand on the ground. "What...?" His heart rate was alarmingly fast, breaths coming out in short gasps. "What...are...you...doing?"

"Scott..." Stiles gritted his teeth before continuing, " what do you think you're doing?" he managed to complete.

Scott paid no heed to Stiles' words and simply grabbed his hands again, the black veins re-emerging, this time crawling their way to his arms and neck.

_Always so stubborn_. Stiles squirmed under the firm hold, "Wait. . Scott, WAIT." He nearly yelled, voice cracking. "Stop." He was practically begging now. He could see Scott's face screwed up in pain, eyes scrunched tight. Much to his annoyance, he couldn't even prevent the deep sigh that escaped his lips after that when the pain in his body lessened to a bearable state. _God, how could you be so selfish Stiles? _He asked himself_. _

Scott loosened his grip and swayed uncontrollably, exhausted. He head was spinning, vision slightly blurring at the edges but it was still worth it. At least Stiles wasn't in _too_ much pain.

"Tha...thanks." Stiles whispered after a little while, still a little dizzy and shivering with cold. He craned his neck to look directly into the wolf's eyes, finding absolutely no regret there. Numbness was beginning to settle in his body and he couldn't even think straight now.

Scott buried his face into his friend's shoulder and rocked their bodies gently for a while. He murmured soothing words in his ears, mostly to convince himself. Much to his horror, Stiles was dangerously calm; his heart rate slowing down, eyes staring into nothingness, and hands curled around Scott's. _Not good._

Discarding all his negative thoughts, Scott closed his eyes. They didn't know how long they sat like that, it could have been a few minutes, but they were so deep in their thoughts that they even failed to notice the truck driver walking towards them in a daze, blood still dripping down his forehead. His confused eyes quickly found the two teenagers and he immediately rushed over to his mobile phone. With shaky hands, he called for help, watching helplessly as the wounded teenager struggled to stay…alive.

After a little while, which felt like almost an eternity, Scott's head titled to the side. Sirens. He could hear an ambulance quickly approaching. Hope flickering inside his heart and a small smile appearing momentarily on his face, he tightened his grip around his best friend's body. "Help's coming. Just a little longer, I swear." He begged, shaking his friend in his hold. Stiles blue-tinted lips had started to tremble and his face had grown paler.

"Scott.…" Stiles grimaced, then coughed hard- his whole frame shivering.

"What?"

"Looks like…time's up for me…" Stiles' gulped in a long shaky breath.

Hearing those words sent Scott into a panicky state and he quickly stiffened, his breathing growing ragged and more labored. He pulled his brother further into his chest, muttering into his ear.

"No…no…no...don't say that. Help's here…" He stuttered, tears beginning to cascade down his cheeks. 'Stiles, please just hang on…I swear to God, if you clock out on me now, I will kill you." He spoke through his tears, teeth clenched in anger. He knew he wasn't making any sense but he wasn't going to let Stiles _leave_ him...not like this.

"Scotty, its okay.…"

"No..no, NO." Scott pursed his lips and shook his head. "NO...it's not OKAY." He yelled miserably.

"Tell my dad I love him, Scott. Tell him..." His voice shook again and his eyes weakly rolled back in his head.

"Stiles! Hey...please man, hey...wake up."

Said human's head lolled to the other side but he complied, "Damn…now I can't even make you watch…Star Wars with me." He let out a humorless chuckle.

Not liking the waver in his friend's tone, Scott shook his head desperately. "No...c'mon you know I won't….I won't understand a thing without you." He tried to continue the conversation, though all he could focus on now was the ambulance screeching to a halt somewhere behind them.

Rubbing his palms against Stiles' arms, who was now icy cold to the touch, Scott kept up a string of 'you'll be fines' and 'just hang ons', not once pausing the mantra. Though he wanted to sound as calm as possible, his mind was as racing at an incredible speed. None of this was fair. He was still healing. He was still healing but his best friend was dying. Scott hated himself, how the hell could his body _still_ heal, knowing that his best friend didn't have that advantage? How could his muscles _still_ rejoin, knowing that his best friend was bleeding to death? He yelled in the back of his mind, growling in meaningless anger.

His raging thoughts were interrupted when Stiles' breath hitched in his throat and his eyes began to slide shut, his head falling backwards to rest against Scott's chest. "No…no…no…you can't do this to me…Stiles! Stiles? Hey..what am I going to do without you man? Stiles!"' He desperately clutched at his friend. When the human gave no reaction, he continued his desperate efforts. "Stiles….No…no..you're my brother. WAKE UP!" He cried hysterically, shaking his friend's body in his hold.

After that, everything became a bit hazy. He vaguely felt strong arms clutch his shoulders and pull him backwards, while the paramedics rushed to work on his friend. He struggled against the arms wrapped around his stomach, shaking uncontrollably in…Derek's grasp. "Stiles!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, letting his head collide with the older wolf's chest, tears streaming carelessly down his cheeks. His eyes never left Stiles' as they slowly closed, the last breath leaving his body. His vision began to cloud and before he knew it, he slumped against Derek's firm chest, crying himself to unconsciousness.

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><p>"Scott? I don't know…he's uhh..he's still unconscious." Derek spoke on the phone, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. This wasn't suppose to happen. Scott and Stiles, they were teenagers…they didn't deserve to go through such terrible things in life.<p>

Derek knew from experience that the pain of watching someone you love nearly die in front of your eyes is unbearable. The fear of never seeing them again freaks the hell out of even the bravest of men and Scott, he was only a teenager. A brave one yes, but still not brave enough.

Inhaling shakily, he closed his eyes and replayed the events of the day in his head. It was almost frustrating how things had gone from good to worst in a matter of seconds.

_Derek was in his loft when he heard the growl. Scott's wolf was desperate and hurt and that was all that took for him to completely lose it and storm towards his friend without hesitation._

_Once he was there, he couldn't get his eyes off of what he saw. Stiles was in Scott's arms, blood clothing the two of them and staining their hands red. The human looked a little too pale and Derek could sense the agony radiating off of him in waves. He had never seen so much pain in Scott's eyes before, the helplessness and guilt gleaming in the tears threatening to engulf him. It took all his might to not break down and cry alongside the younger wolf. Someone had to take care of Scott._

_When the paramedics arrived, Scott was unresponsive, continuing to bury his head into his friend's shoulder, begging for him to survive. Derek took that as his cue and shook the younger wolf by his shoulder. Scott only protested, tightening his hold on his brother instead, more tears flooding his eyes. Not knowing what else to do, Derek snaked his arms around Scott's waist and dragged him back so the EMTs could do their work. Tears were pooling up in his eyes but he bit them back, tightening his arms around Scott's waist protectively. This was too much, even for him and he couldn't imagine what Scott was going through._

_Scott struggled in his hold, trying to somehow crawl his way back to his friend. "STILES!"_

_The wolf's heart-wrenching scream, more like a growl, tore through Derek and he allowed a lone tear to trickle down his cheek. Once Scott had cried himself to unconsciousness, his head lying limply on his chest, Derek pulled him closer and watched the EMTs struggle to keep their 'hyper-active spaz' alive, though it sounded weird calling him that when he was so quiet and unmoving._

_Derek tuned his hearing to only listen to the boy's heart, flinching every time the defibrillator was used, making his frail body jerk upwards before falling back down on the ground with a thump. He willed himself to count along._

_One. Nothing._

_Two. 'C'mon'. Derek prayed silently to whoever was listening._

_Three. Thump._

_It was faint but Derek knew he heard something. A flicker of hope lit in his heart and he focused, blocking all the other noises. Thump._

_Relief washed over him and he let out a few desperate breaths, smiling into Scott's shoulder in respite. Stiles was far from okay. He was far from stable but he was still alive. Stiles was alive._

Derek's thoughts were interrupted when a loud scream pierced the air. His heart stopped beating for a second before he snapped out of the shock and rushed back into the clinic, prepared for what was coming next. He had actually expected this, Scott's panic, then why was there a hard lump rising in his throat? Shaking his head with concern as he could hear Scott's pounding heart, he increased his pace, worried that the teenager might end up doing something crazy.

He flung open the clinic door and in a few quick strides reached the younger wolf. Scott was thankfully still inside the room but his whole body was shaking, feet hanging down the metal counter and one of his hands clawing madly at his chest, as if trying in vain to force air into his lungs.

Derek hurried over to him and placed a strong hand on his shoulder, forehead creased with worry. If Scott kept this up, he was going to hyperventilate. "Scott, listen to me." He pressed, cupping said were-wolf's neck with his other hand, prompting him to look into his eyes.

Scott swayed under the weight. His eyes were glued to the floor, shaky hands still lingering in front of his chest, as he continuously whispered, "Derek….Stiles is dead. Stiles….he is…" Tears were pooling up in his eyes and Derek found himself struggling to clamp down his own emotions. A sob forced itself out of the younger wolf's throat and Derek snapped.

"SCOTT!" He yelled to pull the teenager out of his trance. "Stiles is okay. He is okay." He spoke quickly, shaking the boy in his grasp.

Scott immediately stilled, lips trembling and eyes staring at the older wolf expectantly. "What?"

"Stiles is alive." Derek repeated, squeezing the alpha's shoulders, "He is alive."

Scott sighed shakily in relief, wrapping his head around the fact. He weakly nodded and wiped off his eyes with the sleeve of his bloody shirt. As exhaustion slowly seeped in, he slumped forward, Derek's strong arms preventing him from falling down the metal counter and to the ground. He had never cried this much in his life before.

Looking back into the older wolf's eyes pleadingly, he whispered, "I want to see him."

Derek nodded and lightly tapped the boy's shoulder, "Let's go!"

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><p>Well? Please review and let me know. I am sorry again for the delay. I hope this chapter was enough as an apology. See you soon then. Thanks again for the encouragement!<p>

-Ellie


	4. Chapter 4

**TITLE**: In The Blink Of An Eye

**By**: Ellie!

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Teen Wolf or it's characters. With the way I update stories...I think it's wrong to even fantasize about it.

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><p><span>CHAPTER:3<span>

Sheriff Stilinski was tired. He was tired of the uncertainty he felt in his heart every time Stiles left for school. He was the cop, it was suppose to be the other way around. He was _frustrated _too, thanks to the supernatural crap that had infiltrated every aspect of his son's life. But above all, he was scared. Terrified actually, terrified of losing his only family.

Stiles got involved in practically everything that goes bump in the night, so yeah, despite being a cop, the Sheriff was certain- he wasn't paranoid. This couldn't be paranoia, not when supernatural, psychotic, murderous, monsters were lingering around his human son.

Stiles did it for his friends, this is what the Sheriff told himself from time to time whenever his son came back home sore and beaten, sometimes so exhausted and sleep-deprived that he would simply snooze off on the sofa with his shoes still on.

But such instances, he had to agree, also made his heart bloom with pride. He was proud of his son- the lanky, frail boy who ran along with were-wolves, ignorant to the dangers that lurked around him just because he was human. The teenager who risked his life just to save his friends. Friends who happened to have supernatural strength, speed and not to mention, healing powers. Also they never got tired. Not really.

The sheriff turned the page of the case file he was boring a hole through just by staring and sighed. He didn't like to think so much, not when his thoughts always tended to take a pessimistic turn, reminding him of the tragic loss of his wife and making him wish- beg- to whoever listening for his son to not share the same fate. He couldn't 'not' worry, knowing that his son _never_ complained about the bizarre stuff that happened in his life. Sometimes he wondered where Stiles got all the courage from; the courage to save the world and everything.

"Sheriff, your phone's ringing."

One of the officers pointed out, interrupting his thoughts. He jumped up in surprise and a frown appeared on his forehead for just a second. Damn! Stiles was going to make more of his grey hairs sprout at this rate. Answering the call with a tired sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sheriff Stilinski." He stated firmly.

He heard a sniffle from the other side of the line and his chest tightened. He pulled back the phone and glanced at the screen to know who he was talking to. "Melissa?" He asked once he had verified, not liking the way his voice wavered with escalating and 'unnecessary' panic. At least that's what he thought it was; unnecessary.

There was a long pause before another sniffle made its way to his head. Melissa sounded like she was on the verge of tears, failing miserably to hold it in together and, much to Stilinski's horror, he couldn't think of a time _that_ had happened before. Melissa was always a strong woman, except when Scott had tumbled down the stairs a couple of years back, the time Mr. McCall had left them; that was the first time he had ever seen her waver.

He took another long breath and prepared himself for the worst.

What he heard next though, was something he could never really prepare for.

"Sheriff...sheriff, Stiles has been in an accident." Melissa finished calmly. Her voice cracked as she mumbled. "...He was brought here a few hours ago. He's still in surgery, I don't know how he's doing...but I think you should get here. I mean...He'll want to see you when he wakes up."

Stilinski knew the last bit was added to calm him down, it was clear from the way Melissa spoke, quick and uncertain.

He inhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair. It was as if he was glued to the chair, paralyzed by shock and...No...he had to pull himself together. He had to do it.

With a quick nod, he shuffled around in his seat before bolting upright and pocketing his car keys. "Okay...Okay..I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Sheriff, be careful." The firmness had returned in Melissa's tone and he could almost feel her glaring at him.

He didn't reply and rushed out of his office, all the while silently praying for his son to be alright.

* * *

><p>Derek hated waiting. He wasn't really used to it. And now, much to his discomfort, panic was settling in the pit of his stomach, increasing as more and more restless seconds passed by with no news on Stiles. And if that wasn't enough, he even found himself missing the boy- his snarky comments and clumsiness managing to tug his lips into a small, almost unnoticeable smile- the kind that appeared only momentarily before being quickly replaced by a storm of negative, <em>negative<em> thoughts.

He shook his head and glanced at Scott, his unreadable expression quickly dissolving into a concerned frown as he stared intently at the boy sitting in front of him. Scott's blank eyes were glued to the wall, one of his hands cradling his elbow.

Derek's glance shifted to Scott's shirt torn at the shoulder, just above where his fingers were, and he noticed the freckles of dark- black- blood there. Was there a wound he had failed to notice? Was Scott still not fully healed? Questions flooded his mind and he quickly straightened, walking towards the teen.

"Hey...let me see that." His hands lingered in front of Scott's shoulder, brows furrowed in concentration. As suspected, there was a long, nasty looking gash peeking from beneath the wolf's shirt. He stretched the cloth so he could see the wound clearly, peering over his own shoulder as a precautionary measure. He had to make sure nobody was watching, the sight of black blood wasn't exactly _normal_. Pulling his attention back to Scott, he leaned in closer to get a good look. Not too deep, he noted with a loud sigh of relief.

Scott blankly looked at the wound then back into Derek's eyes, forcing a tight nod, "I'm okay Derek." He assured- the first thing he had said after nearly 2 hours of waiting. A lie, obviously. The wound wouldn't be leaking black blood if there was even an ounce of truth in his words. Apparently, Derek had made the same observations.

"Scott, it's Stiles. He'll...he'll get through it. Like he always does." The words just slipped out of his mouth. With a grim nod, he awkwardly shuffled back to where he was standing before, trying to ignore the look Scott was giving him- the look that showed the respect and trust the younger boy had in him. The look he'd just prefer to stay oblivious to. He was Derek Hale, wasn't he?

"Scott!" A third voice interrupted the moment and, as if on instinct, Scott rose on his feet, nearly stumbling towards the source of the sound.

"Sheriff!" He yelled. "I'm so sorry. I know I should have done something." His hands flailed restlessly in front of him. "I tried, the truck just came in front of the jeep and I tried, I _tried_ to warn Stiles but it was..."

The sheriff placed a quick and comforting hand on Scott's neck, patting gently. "I know. I know." He interrupted, nodding to somehow make the kid feel a little less miserable, though he knew nothing was going to make Scott feel any better, other than the sight of his best friend of course.

The sheriff shared a quick nod with Derek and went to stand against the wall, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. Scott looked at the two older men before sinking back into his own chair, too distraught to strike a conversation.

* * *

><p>It was only after two more nerve-wracking hours- of Scott drowning in guilt, the Sheriff worrying himself to sleep and Derek...just pondering over how a certain hyper-active teenager and his best friend had managed to crumble down the wall he had formed around his heart after countless years of work to stop feeling emotions- a tired doctor, closely followed by Melissa, walked towards the trio.<p>

Scott jumped up the chair and pleadingly stared at his mother to make it quick before he lost his cool. The sheriff who was now wide awake, quickly followed suit and placed a hand on the younger wolf's shoulder.

"How is my son?" He asked, eyes darting nervously between the doctor and Melissa.

Scott frowned beside him, noticing how fast the man's heartbeat was, contrary to how _calm_ he actually sounded. Derek was on his other side and he seemed to be thinking about the same thing, glancing over his shoulder to look at the Sheriff 'almost' concernedly.

Doctor Chris shared a quick glance with the nurse. "Well...he made it through the surgery." He flashed a comforting smile when the three men let out collective sighs of relief, Scott almost sinking to the ground while running a shaky hand through his hair. "He's on pretty heavy medication so it's going to be a while before he wakes up." He paused, letting the men take their time to process the information. "Stiles, if I am pronouncing his name right..." The man added with a smile, "...is a pretty tough kid. You'll just have to be patient and..." He looked at Scott, "...relax, okay?" He emphasized, nodding once at Melissa before disappearing from sight.

Melissa looked back at the Sheriff and pulled him into a gentle hug, doing the same to her son but keeping the hold for a little longer, running smooth circles on his back. She planted a quick kiss on Scott's cheek and pulled away, her hands still on his forearms, squeezing gently, "You okay?" She asked, nodding encouragingly when Scott gave no reaction.

"Yeah...yeah" He blinked his eyes and snapped back into reality. "Mom, can I see him?" He asked desperately, his expression dissolving into one of disappointment when he realized a second later that the sheriff would probably be the first one to visit. But he just needed to see Stiles. Make sure he's alive and breathing. Not that he didn't trust the professionals with it.

Melissa hesitated, then shook her head sadly, "No...not now, honey. You're going to have to wait."

Scott sighed loudly and rubbed at his forehead with his palm, the adrenaline finally seeping out of his veins. His mother, sensing the distress and exhaustion, took hold of his upper arm and looked at Derek as she spoke, "C'mon, let's go."

"Where are we going?" The older wolf questioned, meeting the Sheriff's confused gaze.

"We're going to get some coffee first. Then you're _all_ going back to your houses to rest." The trio looked like they were about to protest but the woman gave them no other alternative, cutting them off quickly, "You'll be no good to Stiles half-dead." She emphasized, tightening her grip around Scott's arm and pulling him along with her.

* * *

><p>He was falling...floating, really. His memories and thoughts were all jumbled up in his head, tugging at him from too many different directions. The urge to open his eye-lids and look around to know whether he was still on the verge of death was strong, but the desire to float in nothingness and distract himself from the flaring pain on his side was simply overpowering. He could still feel his toes and fingers tingling with the after-shock and to make matters worse, the memory of the accident kept replaying itself in his head, each time more enhanced than the one before.<p>

A little more of the panic crept in on him. The clarity with which his mind fabricated those haunting images was almost painful.

Still struggling with his options to pry his eyes open or hope for the best, he let out a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down as his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest, pounding more mercilessly as time passed by. Scott! Where the hell was Scott?

Panic was scattered across his pale face as he scrunched his eyes tighter. In the end anyways, curiosity and the stabbing concern for Scott forced him to tiredly peel his eyes open. His head lolled from one side to another on the pillow as he continuously blinked to bring back the world into focus.

The first thing he recognized was the unmistakable smell. Then the sight of white walls and ceiling made him more aware of his surroundings. He was at a hospital, he noted with a shaky sigh of relief. A little of the fear seeped out of him; he was alive.

He was glad at least that was out of the way. Now, he could worry about Scott trying to commit suicide by leaching away too much human pain.

An unintentional moan- of pain or frustration, he really wasn't sure- escaped his lips and his face scrunched up, the light stabbing him in the eyes. He wanted to drift back into unconsciousness- where it was more peaceful, calm...

"Stiles?" A soft, familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he groaned, hand slowing reaching out to touch his head. His fingers brushed his forehead when he let out a pained wince, the movement having pulled at his wound.

"Hey, try not to move." A comforting hand was placed on top of his', slowly and carefully guiding it back to rest on top of his chest.

He pried his eyes open but squinted when the light shone right into his pupils, too bright and almost blinding. He groaned again, trying to get his point across.

"Just give me a second." Gentle fingers caressed his forehead and he relished into the touch, breathing deeply. He heard a familiar click and breathed a sigh. "Try and open your eyes now."

It took a lot of his willpower to comply but he finally managed. His vision stayed blurry for a while before slowly merging to form actual images and relief washed over him when he glanced at the person hovering worriedly over him. "Melis..."

"Hey kiddo!" The nurse beamed, a wide genuine smile spread across her face. Her hand unconsciously straightened his messy hair strands, making sure to avoid the small bump on his head. "How are you feeling?" She whispered soothingly. A frown appeared on Stiles' forehead and he grunted , sarcasm lining his tone. "Stupid question, huh?!" She broke out into a half-hearted laugh, tears glistening in her eyes.

Stiles smiled before it quickly dissolved into deeper frown, "Sco..?" He asked- at least he tried to. His senses were still not co-operating with him, exhaustion slowly creeping in. Really, he had barely spoken.

Melissa's smile softened and she shook her head, tentatively gripping Stiles' hand in her own, "Scott's fine." She emphasized, wanting to add that it was Stiles on the hospital bed and not the other way around. "He'll be here to see you tomorrow morning. For sure. It'll be the first thing he'll do."

"Is my da..." Stiles had not even realized that his eyes were beginning to shut, Melissa's soft voice all but lulling him to sleep. He came to with a start and jerked his head, already struggling to stay awake. "My dad, is he..." His voice slurred, eyes closing again.

The nurse seemed to have noticed his war against unconsciousness and bend down to run her fingers through his hair, whispering into his ear, "Stiles, honey everyone's okay. Just go to sleep. You need to rest."

Stiles didn't need to be told twice and he groggily nodded, head slumping deeper into the pillow with a content sigh. The last thing he felt was a sheet being tucked under his chin, after that he simply welcomed the comforting cloud of darkness.

* * *

><p>Well, what do you think? Was it worth the wait? <em>Obviously not. Like what the hell? The two didn't even meet each other<em>. I know that's what you're thinking. Sorry :/ It will happen in the next chapter...surely! I'm glad you're still reading this story though! Thank you for not leaving it just yet!

-Ellie!


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